Folding davenport.



G. W. HENRY.

rowmGDM/ENPoRT. Agip/1,111,712,101# FII'LED 0011.4, 1911.

-. Platentad July 16, 1912 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. HENRY.

FOLDING DAVENPORT.

APPLIUATION FILED 00124, 1911.

LSQB. Patented July 16, 1912.

' 2 SHEETS-S-HEET Z.

GUILFOR'D liv. HENRY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FOLDING DAVENPORT.

Lessines.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July, 1912.

Application filed October 4, 1911. Serial No. 652,717'.

To, all whom 'it may concern: l

Be it known that l'. Giunrono lV. HENRY, a citizen of ,the United States, residing at` tit. Louis, Missouri, have. invented a certain new and usetful improvement in .Foldingl `Davenports, ot which the followingI is a tull, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art. to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to tolding daveuports and couches ot the type shown in my prior United States Patent No. 990,243, dated June Q7, 191i.

The main object ot my present invention is to provide a -Folding davenport or couch ot the character re'tierred to that comprises means tor automatically locking the back in elevated position. And still another objecty isto provide a couch or davcnport ot the character described in which the means that releases the hack-locking mechanism is hidden from view.

Other objects and desirable features oi my' invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

.Figure l ot the drawings is a front elevational view ot a portion oi a folding davenport constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of same partly broken away so as to more clearly illustrate the construction oi the back ot the davenport; Fig. is a similar view showing the back in elevated position; Fig. 4: is a perspective view ot a portion ot' the back and part ot the means that guides the hack and locks it; in position; Figs. 5 and 6.

are perspective views illustratingl slight modifications ot' my invention; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view ot the means for disengaging the pawls or movingthem into an inoperative position so as to release the movable back.

` Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the end trames ot any preferred design and construction; 1 designates the seat., and 2 designates the back. Tlhe n'iattress-support consists of two sections or trames 3 and 4 arranged in such a. manner that they lie close together in the same horizontal plane when the Vdavenport is open, as shown in Fig. 3. The seat, l rests upon the frame 3, and suitable means, not shown, is provided 't'or permitting the trame 3 to be swung upwardly and outwardly into the position shown in Fig. and for simultaneously movingI the trame 4 upi 'ardly into the same horizontal plane as the trame 3.

'lhe back 2 is arranged between the end 'trames A, and Said end frames are provided with tracks which receive laterally projecting devices located at the ends of the back 2 so as to gulde said back when it is being raised or lowered. ln the preferred t'orm of my invention, as herein shown, eaeh end vtrame A is provided on its inner side with a track composed ot a casting or a pair of bars or plates 5 arranged in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. Q, and spaced away from each other so as to form a groove G 'which receives a projection on the back 2.

wardly or backwardly when the operator raises the back or moves it. into its elevated position. as shown in Fig. 3. Said guide links can be pivotally connected to the end trames and to the back in various ways but l pre't'er to provide the end tranies and the hack with laterally n'o'ectinetrunnions9.as

shown in Figs. Q, 3 and 4 wh'ieh project into holes in the `guide links, said guide links being prevented from becoming detached trom the hack and the end frames by means ot eotter keys l0 that pass through said trunnions.

In order that the back will remain locked in its elevated position, l have provided it with pivotally mounted pawls or dogs Il that cooperate with notches 1Q in the upper set oi' the bars 5, the lower ends of the pawls t1 heilig bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 4, so that they will straddle said bars. Mean.` is also provided for moving said pawls into an inoperative position so as to release the back 2 and permit it t-o descend to its normal position, and in the forrn of my invention hereinl shown said means consists of a rock shaft 13 that extends longitudinally of the back 2 and to which the pawls 11 are securely connected, an operating plunger 14. connected to a` crank arm 18a on said rock shaft, 'or moving the shatt in one direction, and a spring l5 connected t( said crank arm Q v ,y 1,032,543

and to the back for moving said rock shaft in the opposite direction. The rock shaft 13 extends through'the back 2,'as shown in Fig. 2, so that it is completely hidden from- 2. This head, however, is of the same shape.

andv configuration as the buttons which are used to tuft the davenport, and therefore it does not detract from the appearance of the l5' sisting the operator tomove tlie back updavenport. l

If desired,` springs 16 may be used for aswardly, the springs herein shown being connected to stationary studs on the end frames A and to arms 17 which project downwardly from the lower edge of the back adjacent the ends -of the back, as shown in Figs. 2, 3

` l and 4.

To raise the back the operator simply Igrasps the back and with the assistance'of the spring 1G` moves the back upwardly into the position shown in Fig.. f3, the tracks 5 causing the back to move rearwardly and the guide links 8 preventing theupper edge of the back from falling forwardly or moving from an approximately vertical position. lV hen the operator releases the back it remains in its elevated position by reason of the pawls or dogs 11 engaging the upper set of notches 12 in theftrack bars 5. l/Vhen the operator desires to restore the back to its normal position he tilts the back rearwardly slightly so as to take the weight on' the pawls 11, and then grasps the head 14a on the plunger 14 and pulls said plunger forwardly so as to rock the shaft .13 and thus disengage the pawls from the upper set of notches 12. The back is then free to dcscend by gravity to its normal position, and the spring 15 restores the rock shaft 13 and pawls 11 to normal position so that said pawls will automatically engage the notches l2 when the back is again raised orelevated. Should the head of the plunger 14 slip from the operatorls fingers while the back is moving downwardly the pawls 11 will engage l 4the intermediate set of notches 12 and thus prevent injury to the operator or damage to the davenport.

' lVhile l prefer to provide the back with rollers 7 so as to reduce the friction to ay minimum, -I do not wish it to be understood that rollers are essential, for, if desired, the back could merely be provided with laterally projecting pins or trunnions 7, shown in Fig. 5, or pivotally mounted blocks YP, as shown in F ig. G. l"i1rtl1e'1'1'noIe, while l have .herein stated that the tracks which guide the back arc preferably formed from plates or hars connected to thc end frames of the davenport, it will, ofcourse, be understood that various other means could be used for guiding the 'back without departingfromthe l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A. folding davenport or couch provided with a movable back, tracks or guideways which govern tliepath of movement ofthe back when-it is raised, and guide links pivotally connected to-said back for controlling the movementof same. l

2. A folding davenport or couch ,provided with a movable back, means for causing said back to remain in a substantially vupright or vertical position-when it is moved upwardly,

meansfor automatically locking said back in its elevated position, and means 'for releasing said back so as to-permit it to descend.

3. A folding davenport or couch provided with end frames, 'a movable back arranged between said end frames, inclined guideways or tracks on said end frames .which determine the path of movement of the back when it is raised, links pivotally connected to said end frames and tothe back adjacent the upper edge of the back for controlling the movement of said back, and means for retaining the-back in its raised position.

4. A folding davenport or couch provided with end frames, amovable back arranged between said end4 frames, guideways or tracks on said end frames which coperate with the back, links pivot-ally connected to said back and end frames for controlling the movement of said back, means for automatically locking said back when it reaches its elevated position, and means under control ofthe operator for releasing said locking means.

5. A davenport or couch pr'ovided with end frames which .have notches, a' movable back arranged between said end frames and adapted to be moved upwardly, pawls 0n said back .which are adapted to engage the vnotches en the end frame so as Vto lock lthe back in elevated position, and means for disengaging said pawls from said notches.

6.' A4 davenport or couch provided with end frames which have notches, a movable backv arrangedbetween said end frames and .adapted to be moved upwardly, pawls on said back .which are adapted to engage the notches on the end frames so as to lock the back in elevated position, a rock shaft in said back for actuatingpsaid pawls, and

means under control of the operator t'or moving` said rock shaft.

7. A foldiiig da vcnportor couch provided with end frames. a movable back arranged between said end trames, inclined guideways or tracks on said end trames, projections arranged adjacent the lower edge portion of the back that enter said guidevays, guide links pivotallj7 connected to the end frames and t0 said back adjacent the upper edge ot' the back for controlling' the movement` of same, and means for assisting the operator to move the back.

'8. A folding davenporty or couch provided with ,end frames, a` movable back arranged between Said end frames, inclined guideways er tracks on said end trames, projections on Said back that enter said guideways, guide .links'pivotally connected to the end frames and to said back for controllingthemovement ot" same, a rock shaft. extending longitudinally through said back`and provided with means tor locking the back in its elevated position, and an operating` device for said rock shaft that terminates` in the front; face of Said back.

9. A folding davenporty or couch provided with end frames, a movable back arranged between Said end frames, inclined track members on Said end trames, projections on said back which cooperate with said track meml'lers; guide, linke` pivotally coi'inected to said cnd 'frames and back, a rock shaft eX- tendinp longitudinally through said back and provided with pawls or dogs that cooperate with teeth on said track members, an operatingl device connected to a crank on said rock shatt for moving` Said shaft in one direction. and a spring tor moving` vSaid shalt. in the opposite. direction.

10. ln a folding davenport. or couch, a movable hack, means 'tor causing' said back to move rearwardljY and .up\\'ardl when it` is raised, springs which tend to move the back upwardly, means 'l autoimltically locking the back in an elevated position, and means under control ot' the operator for rcleasin Said locking means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature in the 'presence of two witnesses,

Athis second day ot (')ctober 191.1.

GUlL'FtHl) W. HENRY.

i lVitnesses trams L. h1 unen (leonor: Banen/ELL. 

